Sonic surface cleaner



Dec. 12, 1967 H. T. sAwYER 3,357,033

SONIC SURFACE CLEANER Filed Aug. 17, 1965 Haro/'al 7. San/fer UnitedStates Patent Olilice 3,35733 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 3,357,033 SNECSURFACE CLEANER Harold T. Sawyer, Los Angeles, Calif., assiguor of'Seventeen and one-half percent to Vernon D. Beehler, Los Angeles, Caif.

Filed Aug. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 480,310 17 Claims. (Cl. 15-9S) This is acontinuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 394,686, tiledSept. 8, 1964.

The invention relates to cleaning devices especially advantageous forcleaning and conditioning of flat Surfaces such as floors, walls, andceilings. More particularly, the invention relates to a cleaning toolwhich relies primarily for its efectiveness upon a source of sonicenergy.

Household cleaning of large surface areas such, as for example, floorsand walls, requires considerable physical energy and time if a qualitycleaning job is to be attained. in addition, the problems generally areknown to be twofold. First, energy means is required to loosen and freethe dirt and contamination from said surface, and secondly, the looseneddirt,` contamination and cleaning fiuid must then be removed from saidsurface and in such a manner as to leave the surface clean and in acondition which is substantially dry or moist.

Household cleaning of said .surfaces is generally accomplished with theuse of a conventional sponge, sponge mop, conventional mop, rags, etc.,and in combination with various types of cleaning fluids. The quality ofcleaning is in most cases directly related to the energy expended in thecleaning or scrubbing process. One of the diflcult problems in doorcleaning, for example, is to remove contaminated wax from waxed doors bymanual means.

Although there are commercially available methods and devices forscrubbing, cleaning and removal of resultant contamination from floors,such methods and devices usually involve more than one piece ofequipment, and the physical size, weight, and cost is a deterrent tohousehold use, and particularly with respect to wall cleaningapplications.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new andimproved device for sound wave energy surface cleaning, the device beingportable and preferably being capable of operating at low power.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved surfaceconditioning device making use of sound energy which is light in weight,low in cost, capable of operating at exceptional efficiency and whereinthe maximum effect is in a direction substantially vertical with respectto the surface being conditioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved surfaceconditioner pad making use of sound wave energy of relatively highamplitude and intensity in the lower sonic range which works rapidly andeffectively and which can be adapted not only to clean surfaces but alsoto remove the contamination and cleaning fluid after cleaning andsubsequently, if desired, recondition the .surface.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of thedevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter setforth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side perspective View of an embodiment of the surfaceconditioning device.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view away.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

partially broken FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional viewor" another type of work holder.

In an embodiment of the device chosen for the purpose of illustrationthere is shown a tool holder indicated generally by the referencecharacter 1d upon which is mounted a source of sonic energy 11 and towhich is attached a handle 12. The device is shown mounted for operationupon a surface 13 which is to be conditioned.

The tool holder consists of a relatively rectangular body 15 providing achamber 16. inwardly directed beveled edges 17 and 1S at the ends ofrespective side walls 19 and 20 define sides of the chamber 16. Oppositeends of the chamber are open, as readily appears from the examination ofFIGURES 1 and 2.

Substantially central ou the upper face 21 of the body 15 is a pedestal22. This may be molded integrally with the body 15 if desired or, onthose occasions where the body 15 is of sheet metal, the pedestal may befastened to it in some appropriate conventional way. Attached to thepedestal 22 is a rounded shell 23, which in the chosen embodiment isspherical and provides a chamber 24. In the embodiment here underconsideration the shell consists of a lower section 25 and an uppersection 26. The lower section 25 if desired may be molded integrallywith the pedestal 22 and the body 15, especially under thosecircumstances where these parts are made of some appropriate syntheticplastic resin material such as Fiberglas. When the lower section 25 andupper section 26 are separately molded as complementary portions theymay be joined together along a circumferential line 27 by use of anannular ring 2S and an appropriate adhesive.

A pad indicated generally by the reference character 30 is herein shownin the form of a substantially two-part spongy material consisting of alower sheet 31 and an upper sheet 32, attached and bonded together by alayer 33 of adhesive .bonding material which is impervious to fluids.For many types of cleaning operations as, for eX- ample, for strippingwax and contamination from a floor and thereafter cleaning the iloorpreparatory to rewaxing and buliing, the lower sheet 31 may be made of.some appropriate semi-abrasive type of material such as stiff nylonfiber, a brushlike material, or merely a retaining semi-open material inwhich is embedded some granular abrasive such as powdered flint orsilica carbide.

The upper sheet 32 is preferably one form or another of conventionalnatural or porous cellulose sponge which is capable of absorbing manytimes its weight in water. The pad 30, in the form shown, issubstantially rectangular and wide enough so that it can be jammedsnugly into the chamber 16 by compressing side portions of the uppersheet 32 enough to be securely engaged by the beveled edges 17 and 13.The sponge can be inserted merely by compressing it slightly after it issufficiently moistened and can be removed merely by deforming it orreversing it so that the lower sheet 31 is uppermost and thenreinserting it when slightly deformed, after which it will expand andremain snugly in position.

The source of sound energy is embodied primarily in the mass of motor 35contained in a housing 36. A projection 37 at one end of the motorhousing is provided with a coiled wire supporting sleeve 38 whichprovides a resilient mounting for that end of the housing 36 in a bore39 withinvthe block dii. A set screw 41 extending through the block 4()and into engagement with the coiled wire sleeve 38 is useful forretaining it -in position. A widened portion 42 of the bore providesroom for movement of the adjacent end of the projection 37.

An end portion 43 of the housing 36 has a motor shaft 44 protrudingtherefrom into engagement with a crank 45. Extending from the cranlc 45is a stub shaft 46 which has a substantially universal connection to abearing housing 47. The bearing housing is mounted at 48. At its outeror lower end the leg has a pedestal base 49 attached to the pedestal 22by means of appropriate screws 50, 51 together with an appropriate epoxyadhesive. Under certain circumstances the screws or the adhesive may 'oeused separately.

Wires 55 and 56 which supply an electric motor 35 located in the housing36 pass through a potting compound 57 in a passage 5S, the pottingcompound serving as a sound wave isolation and absorbing medium as wellas a sealant. The wires 55 and 56 then extend through a hollow interior59 of the handle 12 and extend outwardly through a cap 60. An on-oifswitch 51 may be connected in one or another of the wires. Absorbentwafers 62, 63, etc., through which the wires pass are provided atstaggered locations in the handle and serve to prevent passage of soundwave energy lengthwise through the handle. The handle is attached by anappropriate resilient adhesive 64 to a stub 65 of the block 40.

As a further convenience, bosses 66 and 67 extend into the chamber 16from the underside of the body 15 and are provided with roughenedexteriors in the form of multiple rings. Tubes 68 and 69 extend throughthe respective bosses and are fed by respective hoses 70 and 71 whichlead from a reservoir container 72. A remote control 73, connected in aconventional way (not shown), may be used to control the passage ofliquid from the reservoir container 72 into the hoses 70 and 71. Holes74 and 75 in the pad 30 accommodate the bosses 66 and 67 and assist bothin positioning and holding the pad in the work holder and in retainingit in place once in position. Liquid applied to the surface 13 passesthrough the holes 74 and 75.

For operations other than those for which the pad 30 is designed theremay be employed a pad 80, shown in FIGURE 4, which fits in the workholder in the same manner as does the pad 30. The pad 80 has a sheet S1of water absorbent spongy or cellulosic material, on opposite faces ofwhich may be attached bufflng sheets 82 and 83 by use of an appropriateflexible adhesive layer 84 in each instance. For some uses the buflingsheets 82 and 83 may be sheeps Wool or other appropriate builingmaterial.

It is significant that even though the pedestal 22 has an appreciablearea it is located on one side only of the holder and on one side onlyof base 49 which together may be considered elements of a mount for thesource of and transmission of sonic energy. Further still, by having theright end of the housing 36 resiliently mounted, as viewed in FIGURE 3,and the left end eccentrically mounted, the motor 35 in the housing 36provides a power actuated cyclically movable mass supplied withelectrical energy through the wires 55 and 56. Good results are producedwhen for a 110 volt source of electrical energy a motor operating atsomewhere between 45 and 70 watts is made use of capable of generatingrelatively low frequency sound waves typically between 50 and 150 cyclesper second.

The rotational mass of the motor 35 which is mounted within andprotected by its encompassing shell cover 23, is cyclically driven in arotational manner about its eccentric bearing and housing 47 andproduces a sinusoidal driving force in a vertical downward direction atits pdestal base 22. In the present instance the source of power residesin the motor 35 on its specifically designed mount. The mechanicalenergy thus developed by the rotational mass 35 is transmitted to thetool holder 10 which is of infinitely smaller mass than that of therotational driving force mass 35. In order to take full advantage ofthis driving force relationship in terms of essential requirements setforth, the center of the radius of gyration of the rotating mass 35 islocated directly above, and in line with, the center of tool holder 10and in such fashion that the resultant mechanical energy thus releasedis coupled to the tool holder 10 in a near dynamically balancedcondition. The mechanical energy of a specific nature thus developed andreleased Within the the upper free end of a leg the shell 23 and thelight mass of the tool holder 10 causes the material of said tool holderto be displaced on either side of equilibrium in a downwardperpendicular direction in alternate periods of compression and tensionand in sinusoidal fashion and at a fundamental frequency which is inphase and similar to the rotational velocity of the mass of the motor35.

It is significant to this invention that the tool holder 10 isconstructed of thin and still material of very light weight andresilient in texture in order that it may freely resonate at thefundamental frequency of the energy source. The resultant frequency ofthe mechanical energy thusly generated in the tool holder is analogousto the action of a loud-speaker diaphragm which has been displacedmechanically and in sinusoidal fashion by the mechanical energy of anarmature of an oscillator coil. The resultant resonant mechanicalenergy, at a particular frequency, thusly generated within theembodiment of tool holder 10 is transformed, for the most part, intocompressional sound waves which are launched and transmitted verticallydownward from the inner surface of the tool holder 10. In the presentembodiment of this invention, the tool holder 10 serves also as adirectional coupler for directional transmission of sound wave energyand mechanical energy through the pad 30 and in a perpendiculardirection to and releasing said energy at the surface 13. The amount ofsound wave energy and mechanical energy thusly transmitted to thesurface 13 is proportional to the angular velocity of the rotationalmass and the product of its displacement from its center of mass fromthe rotational axis.

For purposes relating to this invention it is significant that the sonicenergy thus released at the surface 13 is of extraordinary highamplitude and intensity thus enabling the lower sheet 31 of the pad 30to quickly penetrate and remove the surface contamination from the floorsurface. The energy thusly released at the surface 13 is for the mostpart a combination of sound wave and mechanical energy in the lowersonic range and which is transmitted in a perpendicular direction tosaid surface. In addition there is another source of mechanical energy,of much lesser amount, and whi-ch originates from the moment of inertiaof the rotational mass of the motor 35, and which energy causes alimited lateral motion of the pad which is a right and left motion asviewed in FIGURE 2. This motion coupled with the third energy motion,namely that of pushing the tool holder and pad combination back andforth in line with the handle 12 across the floor surface produces acombination of three energy motions which work together effectively andrapidly at the surface.

The most effective source of energy in the cleaning operation isperformed by the compressional sound wave energy which is directed tothe surface 13. This wave energy, which is in the lower sonic range, isknown to have excellent penetrative quality, and the waves areefficiently transmitted through the moist sheets of the pad 30 and intothe floor surface and at a velocity approximating 4800 ft./sec. duringthe cleaning cycle. Since said sonic wave energy has exceptionally highamplitude, the alternate reversal of said wave energy at its respectivefundamental frequency, causes an exceptional amount of cavitation withinthe pad 30 and within the contacted cleaning fluid on the surface 13.The cavitation thus produced within the pad and within the cleaningfluid at contact on the surface produces in combination with thereversal of energy cycles alternate cyclic periods of pressure andtension at the surface which in turn produces an implosion effect whichtends to loosen and rip away the Wax and contamination from the surface.This effect is somewhat analogous to the implosion effect produced byultrasonic wave energy when used for cleaning the surfaces of materialswithin a fluid bath.

If the cleaning operation be one for removing wax and contamination froma floor surface some appropriate fluid detergent can be merely spreadaround the surface either from the reservoir 72 or otherwise and thelower sheet 31 passes entirely over the surface while the source ofenergy is Ikept operating. This is suicient to effectively dislodge waxand contamination from the surface. Dislodgment is appreciably increasedwhen the lower sheet 31 is of mild abrasive resilient material.

After the wax and contamination has been loosened, the pad is reversedso that the upper absorbent sheet 32 is exposed on the bottom. The padis then again passed over the entire surface while the source of sonicenergy is operating and acts to pick up the loosened wax andcontamination. When a floor is thus to be stripped of wax andcontamination, it is advantageous to rinse the floor once or twice to becertain that it is entirely cleaned of the dislodged wax. The rinsingcan be done with a moderate amount of water in the sheet 32 and by usingthe absorbent sheet 32 of the pad in a position which makes floorcontact. The rinsing is done with the device energized.

lf the surface is to be rewaxed, an appropriate liquid wax can be pouredupon the surface and spread with the birding sheet 82 without the sourceof sound energy being operating. When finally spread, the pad Si) can bereversed exposing the bufiing sheet 83. Then with the source of soundenergy operating the buing sheet 83 is passed rapidly over the surfaceand the surface is in this manner satisfactorily bu'tfed.

Although the description has been directed primarily to a floor as thesurface 13 by way of example, and a wax and contaminant removingoperation has been used as an illustration, walls and ceilings which aresoiled or dirty can be cleaned equally advantageously. The orientationof the handle 12 with the tool holder 10 is such that the tool holderand the pads can be kept substantially iiat against the surface whilethe sundry operations are being performed. Moreover, when the shell ismade liquid tight the entire lower end of the device may be immersed inliquid, should that be necessary at any time, and without damage orharmful effects to the tool. lt is significant to this invention thatthe layer of adhesive bond material 33 between the sheets 31 and 32 beone which is impervious to the passage of liquid so that when a surfaceis being cleaned, as by use of a detergent, the detergent will not heabsorbed into the upper sheet 32. Thereafter, when the `pad 30 isreversed the upper absorptive sheet 32 becomes available `to absorb themixture of dirt, detergent and water from the surface. Although a pad 30of a specific type has been described in detail, it will be appreciatedthat other pads differently designed may be used for other purposes.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is tobe accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

1. A surface cleaning and conditioning device comprising a relatively atliquid absorbent pad having an applicator surface on one side and anabsorbent surface on the opposite side, a pad holder including retainingelements in releasable engagement with the pad whereby the pad isadapted to lbe removed and replaced in reverse position, `a mount havingan attachment to the pad holder on the side o-f said paid holderopposite from said pad, said mount comprising a Shell having a roundedexterior surface with a chamber therein, a power actuated cyclicallymovable mass in said shell having opposite ends lying substantially inthe axis of cyclical movement, support element on the devicerespectively supporting said opposite ends, said support elements beingout of engagement with the shell and lying `in a plane substantiallyparallel to the plane of said pad, and a connection between one of saidsupports and lthe attachment to the pad holder, and a handle on saiddevice having one end substantially in alignment with said mass, theother end of said handle being at a location removed from said padholder.

2. A ysurface cleaning anld `conditioning device comprising a relativelyflat liquid absorbent pad member having an applicator surface on oneside and an absorbent surface on the opposite side, a pad holder mem-berincluding re- 'taining elements in releasable engagement with the padmember whereby the pad member is adapted to be removed and replaced inreverse position, one of said members having an opening therein, and aboss on the other yof said members having a roughened exterior inengagement with the opening in said one member, ysaid boss having apassageway therethrough for passing liquid through said pad member tothe surface, a mount having an attachment to the pad holder member onthe side of said pad holder member opposite from said pad member, saidmount comprising a shell having a rounded exterior surface with achamber therein, a power actuated cyclically movable mass in said shellhaving opposite ends lying substantially inthe axis of cyclicalmovement, support elements on the device out of engagement with theshell and respectively supporting said opposite ends, said supportelements lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of saidpad member, and a connection between one of said support elements andthe mount and a handle on said device having one en'd in alignment withsaid respectively opposite end's of the mass, the other end of saidhandle being at a location removed from said pad holder member.

3. A portable appliance for ysound energy application to a subject onwhich work is to be performed comprising a hollow shell of relativelystiff resilient consistency having a chamber therein, said shell havinga supporting structure thereon having a junction with the shell, saidshell being out of engagement with the subject, a portable poweractuated cyclically movable ma'ss in the chamber, la rst resilientconnection between said mass and said supporting structure in line withthe axis of cyclical motion of said mass, a tool member having anattachment to the shell yat one location on the shell for application ofwork energy -to the subject, a second connection between the shell andthe mass, said second connection having one end thereof in engagementwith the shell at the attachment thereof with the tool member in a linesubstantially radial with respect to said direction of cyclical motionand the other end movably attached to the end of the mass 0pposite fromsaid first connection whereby to pass energy generated by the mass tosaid subject.

4. A portable appliance according to cla-im 3 including a tool elementhaving a removable attachment to the tool member and comprising a spongemember adapted co engage said subject.

5. A portable appliance according to claim 4 wherein said sponge elementhas an absorbent surface on one side and an abrasive surface on theother side.

6, A surface conditioner for ysound energy application `to sai-d surfacecomprising a relatively flat pad adapted to provide contact between saidconditioner Iand said surface, a substantially stiff resilent andrelatively thin walled shell having a chamber therein, a mountconnecting said shell an'd said pad, a power actuated cyclically movablemass in `said chamber having the axis of cyclical motion substantiallyparallel to the pad, opposite ends of said mass lying substantially insaid axis of cyclical motion, one of said ends having a connection tosaid mount, the other of said ends being resiliently supported by aportion of the shell, said mount being located in a line substantiallyradial with respect `to said mass and the direction of cyclical motion.

7. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein said shell issubstantially spherical.

8. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein there is a handle havingan end attached `to the shell with said end substantially in alignmentwit-h said other end of the cyclically moving mass.

9. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein said pad comprises arelatively soft material of consistency adapted to be substantiallysaturated with liquid.

10. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein there is only oneconnection between the cyclically Amoving mass `and the mount which lieson aline radial with respect to the direction of cyclical motion.

11. A conditioner according to claim 6 wherein there is a boss on theshell extending outwardly having a recess therein in communication withsaid chamber and said other end has a resilient support on said boss insaid recess.

12. A conditioner according to claim 11 wherein there is a handle -forsaid conditioner yattached to said boss.

13. A portable tool rfor sound energy application according to claim 3wherein there is a pad attac'hed to the tool holder, said pad comprisinga plurality of sheets of material and an impervious layer between saidsheets and bonded respectively thereto.

14. A portable tool according to claim 13 wherein the sheet on the sidenearest the tool holder is of a moisture absorbent spongy consistency.

15. A portable tool according t0 claim 13 wherein the sheet on -the sidefarthest from the tool holder is of semiabrasive consistency.

16. A portable tool according to claim 13 wherein the pad is removablymounted in the tool and wherein one sheet on one side of the imperviouslayer is of a moisture absorbent spongy consistency and another sheet onthe other side of the impervious layer is of a semi-abrasiveconsistency.

17. A portable tool according to claim 16 wherein the sheet ofsemi-abrasive consistency is substantially thinner than the sheet ofspongy consistency.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,936,022 11/1933 Hunt 128-553,085,372 4/1963 Sweeney et al 51-400 3,139,101 6/1964 Wyczalek et al.134-186 3,166,772 1/1965 Bodine 259 3,166,773 1/1965 Wyczalek 15--97CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. L. G. MACHLIN, AssistantExaminer.

3. A PORTABLE APPLIANCE FOR SOUND ENERGY APPLICATION TO A SUBJECT ONWHICH WORK IS TO BE PERFORMED COMPRISING A HOLLOW SHELL OF RELATIVELYSTIFF RESILIENT CONSISTENCY HAVING A CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID SHELL HAVINGA SUPPORTING STRUCTURE THEREON HAVING A JUNCTION WITH THE SHELL, SAIDSHELL BEING OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SUBJECT, A PORTABLE POWERACTUATED CYCLICALLY MOVABLE MASS IN THE CHAMBER, A FIRST RESILIENTCONNECTION BETWEEN SAID MASS AND SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE IN LINE WITHTHE AXIS OF CYCLICAL MOTION OF SAID MASS, A TOOL MEMBER HAVING ANATTACHMENT TO THE SHELL AT ONE LOCATION ON THE SHELL FOR APPLICATION OFWORK ENERGY TO THE SUBJECT, A SECOND CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SHELL ANDTHE MASS, SAID SECOND CONNECTION HAVING ONE END THEREOF IN ENGAGEMENTWITH THE SHELL AT THE ATTACHMENT THEREOF WITH THE TOOL MEMBER IN A LINESUBSTANTIALLY RADIAL WITH RESPECT TO SAID DIRECTION OF CYCLICAL MOTIONAND THE OTHER END MOVABLY ATTACHED TO THE END OF THE MASS OPPOSITE FROMSAID FIRST CONNECTION WHEREBY TO PASS ENERGY GENERATED BY THE MASS TOSAID SUBJECT.